This is a disclaimer.

AN: Nobody move! I've dropped me brain!

Take the sky

They've been gone ten hours, and Simon has been panicking for nine-and-three-quarters.

Kaylee's been holding his hand and trying to get him to calm down, because she likes Dean, and if she likes people, they're usually trustworthy, but Sam has been no help at all. When they told him, he just rolled his eyes.

"That's Dean for you. No gorram consideration. But he will look after her."

"She shouldn't be in a position where she needs looking after!" Simon yelled.

Mal, Wash, Zoe and Inara all fled the vicinity not long after that, escaping the Pacing Wrath of Simon. No one's seen Jayne in two days anyway, as is liable to happen when Serenity's dirtside for any length of time, and the Shepard has been closeted with Sam. Wash reckons they're playing Dungeons and Dragons, and is kinda offended they didn't invite him. Inara mentions something about bibles and demons, and that's when Mal starts cleaning his guns, slowly and carefully but with great... deliberation.

The room emptied fairly quickly after that.

When the miscreants finally get back, it's dawn. The sky is pale blue streaked with orange, a cool breeze blowing off the nearby lake. It promises to be a beautiful day, warm and sunny, perfect for swimming and talking and drinking ice-cold tea and being a family.

River's practically dancing up the path towards them, leading Dean on and on, laughing. He's sauntering along in her wake, hands in his pockets, utterly relaxed.

He swaggers over to them, early sunlight bringing out the gold in his brown hair, eyes bright with mischief and weariness and pure, unadulterated delight, so infectious it makes Kaylee smile, too, and Sam just freezes up, transfixed by the look on his brother's face, a look Dean hasn't worn since long before their father died. Not for the first time, he thanks whatever God there is out there that they met these people when they did - and not just because they'd be dead now if they hadn't.

"Where the hell were you, you bastard!" Simon yells, shattering the moment.

Dean chuckles, claps him on the shoulder before moving past them all, heading for his and Sam's room, dark rings under his eyes attesting how tired he is. "Dude. You're sister's awesome. You should let her out of her room more often."

River skips up to them then, wearing a smile so like Dean's that Sam has to remind himself that yes, Dean is his brother, not hers.

Simon is hers. Dean is his. Yup.

"Meimei," Simon says, rather helplessly. She pats his cheek in much the same way Dean just clapped his shoulder.

"It's OK, Simon. Dean took care of me. It was fun. We're the same, him and me. Pieces can be anyplace."

"But, River, it's dangerous. You shouldn't..." his voice trails off in face of her frown.

"I was fine, Si-mon," she says, and Sam recognises his own 'brat-voice'. Deeeeean!

"Really," Simon says, unconvinced.

Then she does something that makes Sam want to run for the hills as fast as possible. He can't take two of them, gorramit.

"Dude," says River Tam, totally serious tone of voice but smirking Dean's smirk again, "totally. I kicked demon ass."

And she skips off after Dean, whistling to herself. Sam thinks it's Highway to Hell.

Simon, meanwhile, is staring after her helplessly, while Mal, Zoe and Wash snigger in the background and Kaylee strokes his arm comfortingly.